What Friends are For
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: Teresa Brisby is only 11, yet she has to act much older to care for her siblings and help out her mother. She never really had a friend her own age, nor does she ever really act her age. One day, that all changes after she is attacked by a mysterious assaulter. Is her new friend her true love? And who or what was her attacker? An old threat, perhaps? Rating may change.
1. Teresa's New Friend

**I don't own The Secret of NIMH. I can claim Teresa's new friend as an OC. This is my first Secret of NIMH story, so I hope you enjoy it. There are more chapters to come.**

**Chapter 1: Teresa's New Friend**

Teresa Brisby was the oldest of four. Her mother was a widow who had four kids to look after, so Teresa decided to grow up enough to help her mother look after her siblings. At the tender age of eleven, she had lost her father and almost drowned in mud. She never really got the chance to interact with anyone her own age. She always stayed around the house to watch over her three younger siblings. There was Martin. He was ten, had the tendency to be rude and obnoxious, and liked to pretend he was fearless. Then there was Timmy. He was six and a sweetheart. He was small, but he had a big heart like their father. Lastly, but never the least, was little Cynthia at the cute age of four. She was a cutie and a sweetheart, but she could be very naïve and always carried around a stuffed toy she referred to as her 'wubbie'.

Teresa woke up early one morning. She put her dress on and grabbed a long pink ribbon. She tied the ribbon in a large bow that concealed the mouse ears on her head. She left her bedroom to find her mother and Timmy wide awake in the living room. She greeted them, "Good morning, Mother. Good morning, Timmy."

"Hello, Teresa," Mrs. Brisby, her mother, greeted. She was wearing her usual, tattered cape. She also had the Stone, a magical amulet that her late husband, Teresa's late father, left for her.

"Hi, Teresa! You're up early!" Timmy squeaked at the sight of his older sister.

"I'm always up early," Teresa pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," Timmy realized. He was wearing his green shirt that looked a size to big on his small body.

"It looks beautiful outside!" Teresa peered outside and gasped in awe. "Mother, may I go outside for a while and pick some of the flowers?"

"Yes, Teresa, but please be careful," Mrs. Brisby approved.

"I will, Mother," Teresa promised as she skipped outside. She scampered to the part of the field where the most beautiful flowers on the whole farm were. All of those reds and pinks and yellows and blues were there, and they all caught Teresa's eyes, each eye filled with wonder and enchantment. She went to grab the stem of one flower when someone or something came up from behind her and tackled her. She screamed as loud as she could and saw her attacker hold up a dagger. She thought, _I'm done for!_ Suddenly, a smaller figure tackled her larger attacker, and the attacker scurried off swearing. Teresa never got a glimpse of who her assaulter was, but she saw her savior. It was a male mouse about her age wearing an orange shirt. He was slim, like her brother, Timmy.

"Are you okay?" the mouse asked.

"I'm fine," Teresa gulped and answered with a whimper. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. I'm glad to see he didn't hurt you," the mouse smiled at her. "My name is Nate."

"I'm Teresa," Teresa calmed down and introduced herself.

"May I walk you home?" Nate offered.

"Nate, you're such a gentleman," Teresa admired.

"That's how I was raised," Nate shrugged. "Are you far from your home?"

"No. It's not too far," Teresa shook her head. They began walking back to the Brisby home together. "So Nate, tell me about yourself."

"There's not much to tell. I'm just a simple field mouse who lives with his mother," Nate claimed.

"Me, too. I also live with my sister and two brothers!" Teresa exclaimed.

"You have siblings?" Nate asked. "Lucky. What about your dad?"

"He," Teresa choked up, "he's dead."

"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry!" Nate apologized and wrapped an arm around her and placed the opposite paw on the shoulder of Teresa's that was closest to him.

"If you don't mind my asking," Teresa wiped away one of her tears, "what about your father?"

"I never knew him," Nate told her casually. "My mother said that shortly after I was born, he left one day and was never seen again. She said she saw some people take him. Those people had a truck with a word on it. It started with an 'N'."

"NIMH?" Teresa suggested.

"That's it! It was NIMH!" Nate realized. "How'd you guess?"

"Daddy was one of the mice of NIMH," Teresa stated. "He met Mother shortly after he escaped."

"Only two mice escaped NIMH. Mr. Ages is too old to be your father. The other one was…Jonathan Brisby. Your father was _the _Jonathan Brisby?! That mouse was a living legend!" Nate exclaimed. "And ever since she learned of NIMH and visited the Great Owl, so has your mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Brisby, widow of Jonathan!"

"Yeah," Teresa nodded. Her mother had been so brave, and it was all just to protect her and her siblings. Teresa felt blessed. "You know your facts." Though, she said this flatly. She deeply missed her father.

"I'm sorry if I made you upset, Teresa," Nate apologized again.

"It's really okay, Nate," Teresa assured. "It just means that with Daddy gone, I have to step it up and help take care of my siblings to make my mother's life easier."

"Wow, Teresa. You really care about your family," Nate admired. He smiled at her.

"Um, I-I've been thinking. Would you like to be…my friend?" Teresa asked timidly. "I don't really talk with others my age."

"Sure, Teresa. I'd love to. I don't really talk with many mice my age either," Nate claimed. "I've just felt so obligated to look after my mother."

"Aww! I'm sure she appreciates it!" Teresa gave Nate a warm smile.

They soon got to Teresa's home. She invited her new friend in, "Come on in, Nate. I want you to meet my family." Moments later, they were inside, and Teresa made introductions. "Everyone, this is Nate. Nate, this is my mother," Teresa gestured to her mother, "and these are my siblings, Martin, Timmy, and Cynthia." Teresa introduced her younger siblings in age order.

"It's nice to meet you all!" Nate beamed at the family of his new friend.

"Nice to meet you, too, Nate," Mrs. Brisby nodded to him.

"Teresa has a boyfriend," Martin sang.

"How did you two meet?" Timmy asked.

"Well, I was in the flower patch when someone or something ambushes me," Teresa began, "He was going to hurt me, there was no doubt about that, but Nate got the thing off of me and offered to walk me home."

"Thank you for protecting my daughter," Mrs. Brisby thanked the young mouse.

"It was my pleasure!" Nate exclaimed.

"He's cute," Cynthia cooed. Teresa felt herself blushing beneath the fur on her face. She did think Nate was cute, but did she actually have _those _feelings for her new friend?

"Oh, um, thank you," Nate awkwardly thanked Cynthia, unsure how else to respond.

Later, in the afternoon, Teresa and Nate were laying in the grass, watching the clouds. Teresa pointed to one, "That one looks like a rabbit!"

Nate pointed to another, "That one looks like a bird!"

Back in the house, Mrs. Brisby was peering out at her daughter and Nate. She was smiling, happy that Teresa finally found a friend. Mrs. Brisby said to herself, "This is probably the first time she's really gotten to act like a kid since Jonathan's death."


	2. The Next Meeting

**Here it is everyone. The second chapter. Sorry for taking a few days. It's been a busy week for me. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 2: The Next Meeting**

Mrs. Brisby was the first in the house to wake up the next morning, with Teresa making a close second. Mrs. Brisby greeted her daughter, "Good morning, Teresa."

"Good morning, Mother!" Teresa greeted with enthusiasm in her tone and enchantment in her eyes.

"Someone must have slept well," Mrs. Brisby remarked with a chuckle.

"I've felt so wonderful ever since I met—" Teresa began, but was cut off by a knock at the front entrance of their home. She went to go see who it was, expecting Aunt Shrew or Mr. Ages, but squealed in delight, "Nate!"

"Hi, Teresa," Nate greeted. He was accompanied by an older female mouse. "I just wanted to see if you were okay after yesterday. Is it too early?"

"Not at all! Please come in!" Teresa welcomed to two mice in. Mrs. Brisby and the female who accompanied Nate got to talking, and it turned out that the female was his mother.

"So your attacker didn't hurt you?" Nate wanted to make sure.

"I told you I'm fine, but it's sweet of you to check on me," Teresa giggled. "Do you have any idea who the attacker was?"

"None more than I did yesterday," Nate shook his head. "He sure left quickly, though. You didn't see his face?"

"No. I was too…scared to look away from his dagger," Teresa let out a sigh, ashamed by her fear. Nate grasped her paw, and she smiled. "Thanks. So, you came here to check on me?"

"We could hang out if you want to. Maybe we could play hide-and-seek or watch the clouds again. What do you want to do?" Nate asked her.

"Anything is fine. Really," Teresa said to him.

"They look so cute together," Nate's mother gave her opinion.

"Yes. Teresa is tickled pink with him," Mrs. Brisby agreed. She was thinking, _I think Jonathan would like this boy._

"Aww! That is so cute," Nate's mother chuckled.

Martin came out, yawning, saw Nate and Teresa, and shouted, "Teresa's boyfriend is here!" This assured that everyone in the house was awake.

"What…?" Cynthia groggily asked as she dragged her wubbie alongside her. She saw Nate and greeted, "Hi, cutie!"

"This is Teresa's boyfriend. Get your own," Martin scolded, but it was really him teasing Teresa. She glared at him, and he responded by snickering madly.

"You're obnoxious," Teresa told her brother.

"That's my job," Martin snickered like a mad mouse with a sugar rush. He got back to teasing, "'Oh, Nate, listening to your voice is like being caressed by a thousand firemen.'"

"Oh, would you get out of here?" Teresa swatted her brother's arm. He left them as he snickered uncontrollably. She turned to Nate and apologized. "I'm sorry about him. He's just…annoying, rude, obnoxious, crazy, and…how else can I describe him?"

"A brother," Timmy, who appeared spontaneously, suggested. Teresa and Nate were shocked by his sudden presence.

"When did you get out here?" Nate asked him.

"I've been hiding," Timmy smiled.

"I don't doubt that. Sometimes, we call him 'Timothy Brisby, hide-and-seek champion'," Teresa explained. Timmy smiled at the title.

"Mom, can I hotwire Farmer Fitzgibbons' tractor?" Martin asked. One of Mrs. Brisby's periwinkle eyes twitched at the question.

"Why?" Cynthia asked her eldest brother and second born of the four Brisby children.

"So I can drive it into a ditch and we'll never have another Moving Day again," Martin grinned maniacally.

"Martin, you're heart is in the right place—well, I think it is—but you can't steal and wreck Farmer Fitzgibbons' tractor. It just isn't right," Mrs. Brisby sighed.

"Okay…" Martin sighed.

Later that day, Teresa and Nate were peacefully sitting under a tree when Justin of all rodents approached. Teresa greeted him, "Oh, hello, Justin!"

"Hi, Teresa. Is your mom home?" Justin asked.

"Yes, she's inside. Would you like me to get her?"

"No, thank you," Justin replied and walked up to the entrance. He called out, "Elizabeth?"

"Come on in, Justin," Mrs. Brisby called up to him. He entered the house.

"Who was that?" Nate asked.

"A friend of my mother's. He was also a friend of Daddy," Teresa explained. "I think he _likes_ her. He likes her a lot."

"I can see why. You're mother is really nice, like you, Teresa," Nate said to her. She smiled at him, and he blushed beneath his facial fur. "Did I say too much?"

"I thought it was very sweet," Teresa giggled. She completely forgot all about how she was attacked the day before and gazed into Nate's alluring eyes. A nice, cool breeze played with the ribbon on her head. Nate seemed so strong and dependable. Teresa thought to herself, _Am I…falling in love?_

She had no idea Nate was thinking the same thing, and Nate had no idea what she was thinking. Each of them just seemed so charming and sweet to the other. Without thinking, Teresa fitted her head against Nate's neck, and he rested his head on hers. They had their arms around each other and fell asleep. When they woke up, it was sunset. Martin had each of their tails in his paws. He had no idea they were awake until Teresa snatched hers tail away from him.

"Oh, hey, sis," Martin greeted. "How's the romance?"

Teresa and Nate were blushing wildly and were lucky that their facial fur concealed the blushes. Teresa gave her younger brother a low growl, and he scurried inside. Teresa turned to Nate and apologized again, "Once again, I'm very sorry about him."

"It is fine, Teresa," Nate smiled. "Really, it is."

"Thank you, Nate. To have the patience to deal with Martin is…not an easy thing to acquire," Teresa claimed.

"But being with you makes it worthwhile," Nate smiled wider, causing Teresa to smile.


	3. Deepened Mystery

**I am deeply sorry for taking so long to update. Recently, I have been caught between four or five stories, but now it is only two: this one and another story. I really hope you all enjoy this. **

**Chapter 3: Deepened Mystery**

An entire month had passed since Teresa met Nate. Mrs. Brisby still wondered who the attacker was. There was a knock on her door. It was none other than the most noble of the rats of NIMH. She let Justin in. "Hello, Justin."

"Hello, Elizabeth," Justin greeted. "I still haven't found out who it was, but they will pay for messing with a Brisby."

"Thank you," Mrs. Brisby thanked him softly. "Perhaps we could go to see the Great Owl." She placed her paws on the Stone and asked, "Why did you give it back to me?"

"The Stone? Well, Liz, it's a gift from Jonathan to you. Once I realized that, I felt horrible about taking it to Thorn Valley. It's a part of him and a part of you. I can't take that away. What kind of friend would that make me?"

"Thank you," Mrs. Brisby thanked again. "It's nice of you to think of me."

"Jonathan would want you—no one but you—to keep it. Maybe you could pass it onto your children one day, but it stays with you for now."

"Bless you, Justin."

"Bless us both and Teresa. We'll need it if we're going to find out who her attacker is."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, Teresa was lying awake in her bed. She thought of all the wonderful times she and Nate had had over the past month. Was she…falling in love? At age 11? To her, that seemed ridiculous, yet it seemed so…right. She asked herself, "How does Nate feel about it?" She decided to finally get out of bed and get dressed. Once all of that was done, she exited her room.

"Oh, good morning, Teresa," both Mrs. Brisby and Justin greeted simultaneously.

"Good morning," Teresa greeted with a small yawn.

"Funny thing, Teresa, because we were just talking about you," Justin smiled at the young mouse. She blinked at him questioningly, so he just nodded to her.

"What about me?" Teresa asked.

"Well, we were discussing your…attacker," Mrs. Brisby admitted. She hated bringing it up. The thought of someone wanting to harm one of her children was unbearable to think about, let alone talk about.

"My attacker?" Teresa repeated. She thought of how scared she was when that unknown being tried to stab her. Thankfully, Nate saved her life, and she would always be grateful of him.

"We're trying to figure out who it was," Justin told her. "Do you remember when he looked like?"

"No. I didn't get a good look. I was staring fearfully at his…knife," Teresa admitted. She felt her mother give her a warm hug.

"We're not going to let him or her harm you, sweetheart," Mrs. Brisby promised soothingly. "Anyone who messes with one of my babies is not getting away."

"Thank you, Mother," Teresa sniffled and thanked. "Mother, do you ever miss Daddy?"

"Every single day," Mrs. Brisby answered.

"BRIIISBYYYYYY!" a loud voice called out. Mrs. Brisby ran to the door and let Aunt Shrew in. "Ah, hello, Elizabeth. Oh, and I see you have Justin here, as well. Now, it's a party."

"Hello, Auntie," Teresa greeted softly.

"Ah, hello, Teresa," the Shrew greeted. She turned to Justin and Mrs. Brisby. "Have you found out anything yet? Oh, I hope that you're not having that fiddle-fuddle Ages look into this. We'll never get anything done in the midst of all his experimentation."

"We're still looking," Justin informed the Shrew.

"Good morning," a small yawn came from one of the rooms. Timmy came out and greeted, "Oh, hi, Auntie Shrew. Hi, Justin."

"Hey, there, kiddo!" Justin got down on one knee and greeted Timmy.

"Auntie Shrew, Auntie Shrew!" Cynthia greeted and jumped into Aunt Shrew's arms.

"Oh, oh, easy now, Cynthia! My frail old bones were not meant for lifting!" the Shrew insisted.

"Huh. I thought I heard a loudmouth," Martin said as he emerged from his bedroom. He wore a smirk on his face.

"Well, _there's_ the impudent piglet," Aunt Shrew shot back. Martin's smirk turned into a scowl.

"Stop it!" Mrs. Brisby broke them up. "Can you two please find at least one nice thing to say to each other?"

"You'd, uh, you'd make a good scarecrow," Martin said to Aunt Shrew.

"Your scent is, um, _stronger_ than one of Mrs. Fitzgibbons' pies," the Shrew shot back.

"There. Was that so hard?" Justin asked.

"Well, _you_ try it!" the Shrew challenged.

"Alright," he nodded and turned to Mrs. Brisby, "you look lovely today."

"Thank you," Mrs. Brisby thanked, "and you're as noble as ever."

"Why, thank you."

"Not to her! To that spoiled little—" Aunt Shrew was at her wits' end.

"Loudmouth!" Martin spat.

"That's enough!" Mrs. Brisby scolded.

"Sorry," Martin sheepishly apologized.

"You, too," Mrs. Brisby turned to the Shrew.

"I'm sorry as well," the Shrew apologized; embarrassed.

"Good," Mrs. Brisby nodded. She turned to Justin and bowed. "I'm sorry everything has gotten so noisy."

"That's alright, Liz," Justin smiled. Mrs. Brisby also smiled. Justin was the only one who could call her 'Liz'. Her friends called her by her first name, Elizabeth, but anyone else usually called her 'Brisby' or 'Mrs. Brisby'.

"We'll keep our eyes peeled and our ears open!" Aunt Shrew promised. "Teresa's attacker must be brought to justice!"

"For once, I agree with the Shrew!" Martin agreed.

"Thank you, everyone," Teresa thanked them all. She felt so loved and protected among these rodents. Just then, there was another knock at the door. It was none other than Nate. "Nate!" Teresa exclaimed and jumped into his arms. "I'm glad you're here."

"Hey, there's the hero," Martin teased.

"We were just discussing the attack on Teresa that happened a month ago. The one you saved her from," Mrs. Brisby informed the young mouse.

"I'm just glad she was okay. Too bad I didn't get a good look at the guy's face," Nate said regretfully. He hugged Teresa tightly and protectively. She didn't seem to mind at all.


	4. The Attacker

**Here is the fourth chapter. A lot happens here. Please, do enjoy. **

**Chapter 4: The Attacker**

That night, when everyone was asleep, Cynthia tiptoed out of her bedroom and into that of her older sister. Seeing the smile on the 11-year-old's face, Cynthia decided not to disturb Teresa. So, the little 4-year-old mouse went into the bedroom of her mother, dragging her wubbie with her. She whispered into the ear of Mrs. Brisby, "Mommy? Mommy? Mommy!"

"Huh?" Mrs. Brisby woke up at the sound of her daughter's voice. "Cynthia? What are you doing up?"

"I had a bad dream," Cynthia stated, letting her eyes grow huge and cute while holding her wubbie to her nose.

"Oh, alright," Mrs. Brisby chuckled, "you can sleep with me tonight."

"Thank you!" Cynthia thanked and climbed into her mother's bed. "Mommy, is Teresa going to be okay? Is she going to die?"

"No, baby, I won't let that happen," Mrs. Brisby assured. "You're worried?"

"She's my big sister," Cynthia said simply. "Wubbie is scared, too."

"It's been a month now, but I simply can't get the attack out of my mind. Thank goodness Nate was there when he was. Oh, I wish your father was here," Mrs. Brisby claimed.

"I do, too, Mommy."

"Oh, well. He'll be watching over her—over all of us. He was an incredible mouse. I loved him so very deeply."

"I know, Mommy. Sweet dreams!"

"Sweet dreams, Cynthia. Sweet dreams."

The following day, Teresa, accompanied by her ever-loyal friend, Nate, went to the place where they had first met. They went to the part of the field where the prettiest flowers grew. Teresa squeaked excitedly, "I'm so glad we get to go together!"

"I'm a little nervous about this, Teresa," Nate admitted. "I'm worried that something may happen."

"If we stay together, we'll be okay," Teresa said with unusual overconfidence. They finally reached the flowers. "Beautiful!"

"Yeah," for a split second, Nate felt his troubles wash away. They ran over and smelled the flowers. It was wonderful. They sniffed and danced and laughed. It was short-lived. A figure, the same that attacked Teresa a month prior, tackled her once again. To her shock, it was Jenner, who had been presumed dead after being stabbed twice; once by Justin, and once by a throwing knife from Sullivan. It should not have been possible. Yet, it was.

"Hello, young Miss Brisby," Jenner snarled a greeting. He unsheathed his sword.

"Get away from her!" Nate attempted to tackle the much larger rat. In his futile to grapple Jenner, he sustained a long cut up his arm. It bled, and he held it in pain. "Teresa!"

"Nate!" Teresa exclaimed. Jenner attempted to stab her with his sword. It failed, he missed by a hair. Instead, he had stabbed the beautiful pink bow on her head. With the point of his sword, he tore it off of her head. Then, with his superior saber skills, he shredded the ribbon until it was nothing but pink scraps. Teresa tried to scurry away, but Jenner's reflexes were far sharper than hers. He stomped on her tail, pinning it and her to the ground.

"The Stone should be mine! Jonathan and Nicodemus kept it from me for far too long! Now, if I destroy Jonathan's widow and heirs, not one can possibly stop me from taking it! Any last words, Brisby?" Jenner snarled at the shivering Teresa. Without a response, he smacked the top of her head with the broader side of his sword.

"TERESA!" Nate screamed. His friend was disoriented and the top of her head was soon caked with crimson blood.

"Shut up, you feeble little twig!" Jenner snapped and kicked Nate, who grunted painfully in response. He turned back to Teresa.

"N-Nate," Teresa weakly called out. She reached desperately for her friend. Unable to retain consciousness, she collapsed where she was.

"Good night, Brisby," Jenner cackled and was about to deliver the final blow. Then, he was tackled by…Mrs. Brisby! Her body was scarlet red and radiated with power. Jenner, bewildered, stammered, "H-how?! This place is far out of hearing range of that crummy cinder block you call a home!"

"Jonathan guided me here! He warned me that Teresa was in danger! No one messes with one of my children!" Mrs. Brisby shouted. Being as soft spoken as she was, she had never spoken so loudly or assertively before. The Stone glowed brightly, and Jenner realized that the Stone had somehow pulled the field mouse to where they struggled at that very moment.

Jenner reached out to touch the Stone, but his paw was burnt just being close to the jewel. "GAH!"

Justin showed up in the nick of time. He tackled Jenner and snatched up his sword. Now, Justin had two swords while Jenner was unarmed. "How are you alive?!"

"You think I'd fall to you or Sullivan?" Jenner snarled.

"You were stabbed twice! Your existence shouldn't be possible!"

"That's what they all say!" Jenner took back his sword. The fight began. The light from the Stone faded as Mrs. Brisby began to tend to her daughter and Nate. Justin and Jenner; two evenly matched rivals, yet one had to fall.

"_You do not deserve the power of the Stone, Jenner,"_ a mysterious, yet familiar and comforting voice rang out. Jenner was lifted into the air, as if by magic.

"What's happening?!" Jenner demanded. Then, he screamed as he was literally plucked from this air. A transparent mouse appeared next to Mrs. Brisby.

"Jonathan," Mrs. Brisby let out a small gasp.

"_Hello, Liz,"_ the ghost of Jonathan Brisby greeted. With his transparent paw, he stroked Teresa's fur. _"You're doing a wonderful job with our children. I am sorry about not being able to help you raise them." _He looked his widow in the eye, and then he looked to Justin. Then, he turned back to Mrs. Brisby. _"Have you ever considered…moving on?"_

"Moving on?" Mrs. Brisby repeated.

"Jonathan, you want her to move on?" Justin asked his old, dead friend.

"_Yes," _spirit nodded, _"but only if it is with you. Justin, next to Nicodemus, you were my most trusted friend. If you both choose to, let my widow be your wife. You'd have my blessing."_

"Jonathan," Mrs. Brisby began, "thank you. I know you were watching over Teresa when this happened. Thank you for letting out daughter live." The spirit of Jonathan Brisby faded away. She said to the long gone ghost, "I will miss you."

"C'mon! We've got to get them back to your place," Justin encouraged and picked up Nate in his arms.

Back at the Brisby house, Teresa was unconscious in her bedroom. Nate was groggy, but awake in Martin's room. His mother was at his bedside. His arm was bandaged up, thanks to Mr. Ages, who decided to stop by for a visit (which was a bit hypocritical of him considering he hated to have visitors). Teresa's head wound was also bandaged. Her siblings and mother were in her room, by her bed. Timmy asked his mother, "Mom, is she going to be okay?"

"I hope so," Mrs. Brisby tried her hardest to restrain her tears.

"Poor Teresa," Martin sighed. Cynthia put her wubbie next to her sister's sleeping face. Mrs. Brisby smiled at her youngest child, pleased that she was looking out for her older sister.

"M-Mother?" Teresa asked as she slowly woke up. Her entire family (yes, even Martin) smothered her with a family hug.

"We're so glad you're okay!" Timmy exclaimed.

In Martin's room, Nate asked his mother, "Is Teresa okay?! Is Teresa okay?!"

"Nate, calm down! She'll be fine!" his mother assured. Nate climbed out of bed and staggered into Teresa's room. He was simply overjoyed when he saw that she was awake.

"Oh, Teresa! I'm glad you're alive! Thank goodness! Oh, thank heaven!" Nate sobbed tears of joy.

"I'm glad you're okay, too!" Teresa also sobbed tears of joy. Then, in their tears, they did something most unexpected. They kissed.

"I knew he was her boyfriend!" Martin exclaimed. For that comment, Teresa threw her pillow at him. Martin returned the pillow to its rightful place and everyone laughed.

"I guess I am in love," Teresa and Nate said at the same time.

A little while later, outside, Mrs. Brisby was talking to Jeremy and his mate. Jeremy asked, "You remember Miss Right, right?"

"Right!" Mrs. Brisby nodded.

"Present!" Miss Right stuck a wing up as is she was raising a hand. Mrs. Brisby, who was truly happy for them, gave them an awkward smile. One thing was for sure: the two crows were like Nate and Teresa; they were made for each other.

"I heard about what happened to poor Teresa," Jeremy informed the mouse. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine now. She just needs to let that wound heal," Mrs. Brisby reported to the crow.

"Thank goodness!" Jeremy sighed with relief.

**No, this is not quite the end. I am planning for there to be an epilogue (not sure when that will be). It depends on whether I want there to be a few more chapters or just one more. Another thing, I know Jeremy's mate wasn't exactly given a name, but I have read from a few sources that they just call her "Miss Right" because that is what he is looking for. So, I went with it. Thanks! Please read and review.**


	5. Epilogue

**Here is the last chapter: the story's epilogue. Thank you all for reading. A lot happens in this chapter for a chapter of relatively small length. Enjoy! **

**Chapter 5: Epilogue**

10 years had passed since Teresa and Nate met. The two mice were very much in love from the start. Now, with 10 years under their belts, their love was deeper and stronger. They laughed, cried, danced, kissed, hugged, and had a lot of fun together over that decade. Now, they were finally eloping. They were going to become one, and Mrs. Brisby, Nate's mother, and Aunt Shrew planned a grand wedding. Or, at least, they tried to. Martin, Timmy, and Timmy's new girlfriend, Jenny, were coming. A lot of others were coming as well. But Teresa was somewhat sad. She was more than happy that she was marrying Nate, but she wished her father could have been there. She muttered to herself, "I'm 21 now. I was the big girl Daddy wanted me to be. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. Not on the day of my own wedding."

"Is something wrong, dear?" a soft, soothing voice asked from behind. Teresa turned around to face her mother.

"Oh. Hello, Mother. I'm fine. I am."

"Teresa, you're my daughter. I'm your mother. I know what's on your mind."

"Y-you do?"

"You wish your father could be here."

"Wow, Mother, you really _do_ know," Teresa said in astonishment. "I miss him so much."

"I do, too, Teresa," Mrs. Brisby smiled sympathetically. "He's here in spirit, dear. He's been watching out for all of us."

"Do you really think so?" the daughter asked.

"I _know_ so," the mother assured.

"Mother, when Daddy died, there was something I wanted to do more than anything when I heard about his death."

"And what was that?"

"C-cry in your lap," Teresa admitted.

"Well, why didn't you?" Mrs. Brisby questioned.

"Cynthia was in your arms before I could even get close."

"Ah, I remember. She clung to me the whole day that day. You all were pretty shaken by it," Mrs. Brisby recalled. She sat down and patted her lap twice. "Well?"

"Mother?" Teresa gave her mother a quizzical look.

"Teresa, I'm so proud of you for being such a responsible older sister. You don't have to bottle your feelings up for their sake, especially not anymore. Martin and Timmy live in Thorn Valley now, and Cynthia is 14 years old," Mrs. Brisby explained.

"Yes, and I'm 21. Wouldn't it be kind of silly for me to bawl in your lap now?"

"When mental and emotional health is considered silly, it is."

With that, Teresa sat in her mother's lap and cried on her shoulder. After a good 10, perhaps 20 minutes of crying, Teresa got up and smiled at her mother. "Thank you."

Cynthia, who had been hiding behind a corner, felt guilty. Teresa found her around the corner and beamed at her, "Let's go to the wedding, Little Miss Maid of Honor!"

"Teresa, I don't have the heart to be your maid of honor anymore," Cynthia admitted.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault that you never got a fair chance to grieve about Daddy."

"Cynthia, don't be silly!"

"I'm not!"

"Cynthia, please, I want you to be my maid of honor! You can't change your mind today!"

"But—"

"Cynthia, you were fatherless at the age of 4. I wouldn't hold anything like that against you!" Teresa tried to reason with her sister. "Please? There's no one else who'd make a better maid of honor! Cynthia, I need you there!"

"You…need me? You're not mad?"

"Of course not! Never! You're my sister! I can't be mad at you for something like that!"

"…Okay, Teresa," Cynthia nodded, "I'll do it!"

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Teresa gave her sister a tight hug.

Later, at the wedding, Teresa and Nate were standing at the altar. Their "priest/rabbi/whatever" that was going to marry them was Mr. Ages. Justin, as the successor of Nicodemus, would have done it, but he felt Mr. Ages was a better choice due to his age, wisdom, and experiences in life. It was a nice little ceremony. Flowers decorated the area. Eventually, Teresa and Nate got to put the rings on each other's fingers and kissed happily as mouse and wife. Nate said to her, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Teresa replied, and they kissed again. In the crowd, Timmy and Jenny cuddled happily as they watched the newly married mice kiss. Aunt Shrew smiled. Justin sighed contently. Everyone was happy.

Jonathan Brisby, who had been watching from above, smiled. He was happy for his eldest daughter and proud she had been so good to her siblings, even though it forced her to mentally grow up faster than she should have.

"I have a present for you two," Cynthia gave her sister and new brother-in-law a box.

"You want us to open it now?" Nate asked.

"Yes. Please, do," Cynthia urged.

"Uh…" Teresa seemed unsure.

"Open it, open it, open it," everyone else chanted.

"Alright, alright, we're opening it!" Teresa assured. Together, she and Nate opened the box. In it was a heavily loved stuffed toy. Teresa, with her blue eyes gave her sister a very shocked look. "You're giving Wubbie to us? Your favorite thing in the whole world?"

"Yeah. I want you to give him to your kids. Hey, Teresa, does this mean you're not…a Brisby anymore?"

"Actually, I want to be one of those few males with a maiden name. I love Teresa so much I want to be Nate Brisby," Nate smiled. Everyone smiled. Teresa gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

"I like the sound of that," Mrs. [Jonathan] Brisby said to her new son-in-law.

"Does that make him Mr. Teresa Brisby?" Martin asked teasingly. Everyone laughed.

"Someday, it will be us at the altar," Timmy pointed out to Jenny.

"Yeah. I look forward to it, Tim," Jenny agreed.

"So, Teresa, my older sister has a husband. Tim, my younger brother, has a steady girlfriend. Dang, I really need to find a woman!" Martin realized.

"I'm sure you'll find your match, kiddo," Justin assured. "Your brother and sister did."

"Hmm…" Martin thought and made sound.

"When we do decide to have kids, would it be alright if we name a son John, after my father?" Teresa asked her husband.

"That'd be more than alright," Nate nodded. They kissed one more time.

The following year, Teresa was at her mother's house, in labor, with Nate by her side. He was coaching her, "Come on, Teresa! You can do it!"

It took hours, but Teresa had finally given birth to a baby boy mouse. Mrs. Brisby looked overjoyed. She said, "This means I'm a grandmother!"

"And I'm an aunt!" Cynthia, now age 15, added as she rushed in, wanting to meet her new nephew. "What are you going to name the baby?"

"We decided a year ago," Teresa reminded her as she held her new son. "His name is John Brisby."

"He's beautiful, Teresa," Nate smiled and kissed his wife.

"I'm so happy," Teresa held the baby close to her. She couldn't stop smiling.

"I can't wait for Timmy and Martin to find out!" Cynthia squealed with delight.

"I wish Daddy could be here to see his new grandson," Teresa sighed contently. She kissed the baby mouse on the forehead. She looked at Nate, the friend she met 11 years prior. She had married her best friend. He was the father of her child. And they were very, very happy together.

**The end. **


End file.
